After completing the census tract of the area surrounding Bills Cyclery LLC, I had a couple questions I wanted answered going into this assignment. The first question is: Why was there a huge jump in diversity from 1970 to 1980? Another important question I want answered is what caused the population to increase greatly in 1950 and then decrease after. Apart from those two questions, I wanted to learn more about what the area of Jackson Heights was like in the past.
According to multiple newspapers, such as The New York Herald August 27 1922 issue, Jackson Heights used to be a suburban area where people lived in quiet neighborhoods. Most of the newspapers from the 1920s seemed to describe Jackson Heights as a suburban area in the city. According to the 1922 The New York Herald April 23rd issue, most people were tired of unattractive living spaces and wanted a nice place to live that is also close by the city. The article seems to imply that a substantial amount of money is necessary to be able to live in the Jackson Heights area. This may be the reason that at the time it was a majority white neighborhood. It also makes sense as to why a store that sold bicycles would be profitable in this neighborhood. Since it’s a somewhat expensive suburban area, a bicycle shop would make a lot of profit here.
The picture of the bike shop taken by the NYC Department of Records in the 1980s is exactly how the bike shop looks today, so it’s safe to say not much has changed from the 1980s to the present. However, pictures of Jackson Heights and Woodside in the 1940s is extremely different from what the areas look like today. The pictures reinforce the idea that the area used to be suburban in the past. There was a lot of open space, trees, and plants. It gave off a suburban feeling even though it was still located in the city. The houses and apartments looked beautiful. The 1940s map also noted that Roosevelt Ave and Northern Boulevard used to be the main shopping streets. It makes sense that the bike shop would be located on Roosevelt Avenue then, since it was considered a major shopping street. Also, even today Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard still have a lot of shops and stores open.
According to the 1940s map, most of the people who lived in Jackson Heights lived in one family houses and rented the houses. Since the houses were rented, it makes a bit more sense for the population to drastically change in the 1980s. It’s easier to leave an area if you’re renting because if you own a home you most likely want to stay in the area and in the home.
After analyzing these primary and secondary sources, I got a better idea of the historical context of the area of Jackson Heights and why a bike shop would be present there. Today, it’s weird to see a bike shop on Roosevelt Avenue, but it makes sense now because in the past Jackson Heights was a suburban area where bikes were more convenient. Although I wasn’t able to answer the two questions I had coming into this assignment, I now understand more the circumstances surrounding the bike store. Also, I can always complete the interview with the owner to figure out the answer to my questions.
